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House Still Working on Truck Safety Bill

A U.S. House of Representatives panel is considering several different truck safety proposals, including one that would create a separate administration for trucks and buses within the Department of Transportation.

The only option not under consideration is the status quo, said House Ground Transportation Subcommittee spokesman Scott Brenner. So far, the subcommittee leadership has not been able to agree on a plan, Brenner said.The subcommittee's goal is to have a proposal ready before the congressional summer recess begins in early August. In the longer run, it faces an October deadline due to Rep. Frank Wolf's threat to withhold funding for the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety. The Virginia Republican, whose appropriations subcommittee controls DOT's purse strings, said he will cut off funds at the end of this fiscal year in October unless he sees significant changes in truck safety regulation. His preference is to move OMCHS over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but he has indicated he's willing to consider a separate modal administration.